Amazon forest phyllosphere diversity

Phylloplane biodiversity


http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/312/5782/1917

http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/reprint/312/5782/1917.pdf

Science 30 June 2006:
Vol. 312. no. 5782, p. 1917
DOI: 10.1126/science.1124696


Brevia:

Bacterial Diversity in Tree Canopies of the Atlantic Forest
M. R. Lambais* et al

"We found an extraordinary level of bacterial biodiversity in the tree leaf canopy of a tropical Atlantic forest by using culture-independent molecular methods. Our survey suggests that each tree species selects for a distinct microbial community. Analysis of the bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequences revealed that about 97% of the bacteria were unknown species and that the phyllosphere of any one tree species carries at least 95 to 671 bacterial species. The tree canopies of tropical forests likely represent a large reservoir of unexplored microbial diversity. "


*Department of Soils and Soil Science, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo

"The leaf surface, also known as the phyllosphere, is one of the most common habitats for terrestrial microorganisms,
but almost nothing is known about the diversity of microorganisms that inhabit this environment. Here, we report a survey of bacterial diversity in the leaf canopy of a tropical Atlantic forest. The Atlantic Forest of Brazil is a biodiversity
hotspot that has been reduced to less than 8% of its original size over the past 4 centuries and is considered to be the oldest forest on the planet, containing about 20,000 vascular plant species, of which about one-half are endemic ... "

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